Friday, September 26, 2014

Yummy Easy Cheesy Corn






I took these to a party at work today. It is quick and easy to make in the crock pot.  I think they were a hit.

16 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
1 block of cream cheese
4 tbsp. of butter
2 lbs of corn
salt and pepper to taste about 1/2 tsp salt and1/4 tsp pepper

Cut the butter and cream cheese into chucks. Throw everything in the crockpot. Put on low for about 4 hours. Stir every hour or so. Enjoy!!

Here is the original recipe, http://www.sweettmakesthree.com/2011/01/easy-corn-recipe-and-only-way-youll/#_a5y_p=1213013 I took out 1/2 the butter and added salt and pepper.


Friday, September 12, 2014

8 Tips For Mommies Going Back to School




(This is our princess helping me with my homework.)

1. Find a school for working adults. Shop around for the right fit. My school allows me to take one class at a time. Ask people were they went to school. Finding the right fit will make you a more successful student.









2. Shop for price.You want a degree in the end, not student loan debt.








3. Plan ahead. Freeze meals. Buy toilet paper. Anything you can do ahead of time or on break helps.








4. Don't get behind!!! Keep up with assignments and readings. Ask your instructor what you can do ahead.








5. Dress professionally. When I was in undergrad, students wore work out clothes to class. Sadly, those days are gone.








6. Buy books on Amazon. Try not to buy at the bookstore. Get the ISN code and shop on line. It will save you a ton of money.








7. Make friends in class. Connections are important in the real world after school, but also connections help at school too. A classmate can take notes for you while your sick. Also, others may have a different point of view that is helpful.








8. Do homework together or at least at the same time. I let my children see me study. They are usually quiet while they do their homework.






Good luck!! You can do it!!

Monday, September 1, 2014

Simple Homemade Baby Food

Eight years ago I had twins. I stayed home with them a while and they ate a ton. They still do. The solution was to make their baby food. It is more simple than it seems and very inexpensive. My boys now are great vegetable eaters and I think it is from the good early start.



 Princess won't be six months old for a little while, but I wanted to feed her local, in season, food. This time I am only cooking for one baby. I have just been using left over food. These apples above are ready to become baby food.




Before you start make sure everything is very clean.  Be careful not to contaminate the baby food.  If your baby has a food allergy, you might not be able to tell what they are allergic too. 
I fill the pan with water to cover the bottom. Then put in sliced up fruit (or veggies). Steam them until soft. Allow to cool.



When the fruit cools put it in a food processer. (I have used a blender in the past, but you need lots of liquid. Include in the food processer the cooking liquid remaining.) The liquid will contain some nutrients. I have put formula in the mixture to add nutrients for foster children in our care. Process until smooth. Smaller babies prefer less texture.  It may take babies longer to get used to homemade food, because it won't be as smooth as store bought. My babies would not eat store bought food.



When complete spoon into ice trays and freeze.  When frozen, place in Ziploc bags for storage.



So far, I have made zucchini, yellow squash, blueberry, blueberry banana, apple, plums (which are not worth the work) and green beans.
A great resource is wholesomebabyfood.com.